Drop plan to build helipad at Dehradun Prez Estate: Activist

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PTI

April 24, 2017

UPDATED: April 24, 2017 15:35 IST

Dehradun, Apr 24 (PTI) Social activist Anoop Nautiyal has opposed a proposal to construct a helipad at the Presidents Estate in the city, Ashiana, saying it would cause massive damage to the environment.

He has written to President Pranab Mukherjee, requesting him to drop the plan.

He cited reports in a section of the local media that the proposal, cleared by the Presidents Secretariat recently, would involve largescale chopping of trees and relocation of people living on the periphery of Ashiana.

Noting that increased construction activities have already done enough damage to the citys environment, he said a World Health Organization (WHO) survey ranked Dehradun as the 31st most polluted city in the world.

"Dehradun has environmentally, ecologically and aesthetically been ravaged repeatedly by tasteless constructions. Air quality in Dehradun has deteriorated significantly. We are today the 31st most polluted city in the world as per the WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database," the social activist said.

"I request you to kindly instruct your secretariat to completely abandon the idea of building the helipad in Ashiana. There are already two helipads in Sahastradhara and Cantt area which are barely 5-10 kms from Ashiana. On top of this, presidential visits to Dehradun are extremely rare.

"Considering all these facts if the helipad were to still come up at the Presidents Estate, then it will be one more nail in the green coffin of Dehradun. I earnestly hope that you will send out a strong message of environmental conservation and augmentation by taking a firm no-helipad stand on the issue," he wrote to Mukherjee.

The president had stayed in Ashiana, also called the Presidents Bodyguard Estate, for three days in September last after its renovation. PTI ALM SMN

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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